In House #1665: Golden Smog's Another Fine Day; New Catfish Haven, Tom Petty

As you may have noticed, supergroups rarely add up to equal, let alone surpass, the sum of their collective parts. More often than not, the results of such unions often feel like exactly what they generally are: one-off, weekend recording indulgences that border on local bar band territory. Nevertheless, some seem to have avoided such pitfalls-- the New Pornographers, for example, though they seem much less a supergroup than an actual band of musicians who happen to have other things going on at the same time. Another example is the Golden Smog who, to this listener at least, have always done an ample job of avoiding the cliches of the supergroup despite taking themselves less than seriously.

Golden Smog

The third album from the Golden Smog-- this go around featuring members of the Jayhawks, Wilco, Soul Asylum, and Run Westy Run-- dropped yesterday on Lost Highway. Another Fine Day is a far sonic cry from the country-rock of the band's 1995 debut Down By the Old Mainstream and songs like "Pecan Pie." Instead, the main flavor on the new album is decidedly less country and more rock, veering off into territory established by the likes of Big Star and The Replacements. It's a switch that mimics the shifting discographies of both the Jayhawks and Wilco, and while it may disappoint those hoping for rootsy fare, Another Fine Day still manages to defy supergroup trappings.

In House #1665.
Airdate: 7/19/06
Focus: New release from the Golden Smog, Another Fine Day, plus new music from Catfish Haven, Tom Petty, Bobby Bare Jr. and more.

BONUS MP3s from today's show-
Golden Smog, from Another Fine Day:
"Frying Pan Eyes" (MP3)

The Replacements, from Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?:
"Pool & Dive" (MP3)

Catfish Haven, from Tell Me (due 9/12 on Secretly Canadian):
"Crazy For Leaving" (MP3)

Bobby Bare Jr., from The Longest Meow (due 9/26 on Bloodshot):
"World Snuggling Championships" (MP3)


PLAYLIST